Nebraska. Bowling. Huskers Look for Third NCAA Title

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1 Release Date: April 5, 2007 Nebraska Bowling Contact: Jessica Schwager Cell Phone: (402) Work Phone: Huskers Look for Third NCAA Title The second-ranked Nebraska bowling team will travel to Apopka, Fla., for the fourth-annual NCAA Championships this weekend. The Central Florida Sports Commission and Sunshine State Conference will co-host the event, which will be held at Brunswick Wekiva Lanes. The competition begins on Thursday, April 12, with two qualifying rounds containing four five-person regular team games and four five-game Baker matches. The fourth Baker set will serve as the position round and the pinfall from the position round will serve as the tiebreaker. Based on the qualifying rounds, teams will be placed in a double elimination tournament bracket. Teams will then compete against each other in a best-of-seven Bakerstyle bowling format to determine a winner on Saturday, April 14. The Huskers, earning their fourth-consecutive NCAA invitation, are one of eight teams competing in the championships. Other teams include Central Missouri State University, Fairleigh-Dickinson University, Maryland-Eastern Shore University, Minnesota State- Mankato University, New Jersey City University, Sacred Heart University and Vanderbilt University. The NCAA championship finals will be broadcast live on ESPNU on Saturday, April 14, at 5 p.m. CST, with another tapedelay broadcast to be shown on ESPN2 on Sunday, April 15, at 5 p.m. CST. Row 5: Sarah Izydorek, Sarah Koch, Kalyn Washburn Row 4: Ashley Rymer, Stephanie McGinnis Row 3: Lindsay Baker Row 2: Emma Butchard, Adrienne Miller Row 1: Amanda Burgoyne, Cassie Leuthold Bowling Staff Head Coach...Bill Straub Alma Mater...Kensington University ...wstraub@huskers.com Assistant Coach...Paul Klempa Alma Mater...Nebraska ...pklempa@huskers.com Bowling Phone... (402) Media Relations...Jess Schwager Office Phone...(402) Office Fax...(402) Cell Phone...(402) ath-jschwager@huskers.com Website...huskers.com Nebraska Media Relations One Memorial Stadium P.O. Box 0123 Lincoln, NE NCAA Championship Info Event: 2007 NCAA Championships Dates: April 12-14, 2007 Site: Brunswick Wekiva Lanes 2160 E. Semoran Blvd. Apopka, FL TV: ESPNU (April 14-5:00 p.m.) ESPN2 (April 15-5:00 p.m.) Lineup: Lindsay Baker, Amanda Burgoyne, Emma Butchard, Sarah Koch, Cassie Leuthold and Adrienne Miller Hosts: Central Florida Sports Commission and Sunshine State Conference Tickets: (407) Nebraska Bowling Roster Name Yr. Hometown Lindsay Baker* Jr. Amherst, N.Y. Amanda Burgoyne* Sr. Newport, Minn. Emma Butchard* Jr. Edinburgh, Scotland Sarah Izydorek Fr. Evergreen Park, Ill. Sarah Koch* RFr. Ottawa, Ill. Cassandra Leuthold* RFr. Black Hawk, S.D. Adrienne Miller* Sr. Albuquerque, N.M. Stephanie McGinnis RFr. Lincoln, Neb. Ashley Rymer Fr. Aurora, Ill. Kalyn Washburn RFr. Tucson, Ariz. *denotes NCAA traveling team Pg. 1

2 Schedule/Results Date Tournament Location Results Nov Wisconsin-Whitewater Invite Whitewater, Wis. 2nd Nov Maverick Challenge Chicago, Ill. 1st Dec. 2-3 Valley Classic Greenwood, Miss. 1st-T Jan Ozark Invitational Springfield, Mo. 4th Feb. 3-4 Mid-Winter Classic Jonesboro, Ark. 3rd Feb Music City Classic Nashville, Tenn. 1st March Music City Classic Chicago, Ill. 1st NCAA History This weekend the Huskers will participate in their fourth-consecutive NCAA Championship tournament since bowling became an NCAA-sanctioned sport in NU captured its first NCAA championship title in The Huskers then went on to claim their second title in April of Last season, the Huskers went undefeated until their appearance at the NCAA Championships, where they placed third overall. Under Head Coach Bill Straub and Assistant Coach Paul Klempa, the Husker women s bowling teams have won seven national titles in 14 years. While team success has been paramount, numerous Huskers have enjoyed individual success. NU has had at least one All-American in each year for 17 years, dating back to its club program days. Over the past 17 years, 18 Huskers have combined for a total of 34 firstand second-team All-American awards, while Kim Berke (1992), Diandra Hyman (2000), Shannon Pluhowsky (2001, 2004, 2005) and Lindsay Baker (2006) were each chosen as the National Collegiate Bowler of the Year. Leuthold Captures Tournament Titles In just her first year as a Nebraska competitor, redshirt freshman Cassandra Leuthold is making a name for herself in collegiate bowling. Leuthold has claimed two individual tournament crowns on the season. She earned her first title at the Maverick Challenge on Nov. 18, 2006, where she held an average of 202. Leuthold then captured her second crown at the Ozark Invitational on Jan. 21, 2007, where she averaged a collegiate-career high of 230. Four Huskers Earn Spots on Team USA Four Huskers were awarded spots on the 2007 Team USA at the completion of the United States Bowling Congress Championships on Friday, Jan. 12, 2007, at National Bowling Stadium. Shannon Pluhowsky, a 2005 graduate, placed second in the trials with a total pinfall of 8,773 over 40 games. Pluhowsky made Team USA for the seventh time in her career. She was also awarded a two-year Team USA spot by the National Selection Committee to automatically make Team USA in Pluhowsky was a four-time All-American for the Huskers from and also earned National Collegiate Bowler of the Year honors in 2001, 2004 and Former Husker Diandra (Hyman) Asbaty placed fourth with a pinfall of 8,677, marking her ninth time on the national team. Asbaty was a National Collegiate Bowler of the Year in 2000 and earned All-America honors in 1999, 2000 and Although current Husker Amanda Burgoyne and former bowler Brenda (Edwards) Viator were unable to place in the top-four for automatic spots, they were selected by the National Selection Committee to complete the 12- person team. Burgoyne has earned All-America honors in 2004, 2005 and 2006, while Viator was an All-American in 1995 and Team USA 2007 will compete in the Pan American Games, the World Tenpin Bowling Association Women s World Championships, the American Zone Men s Championships and the QubicaAMF World Cup. Huskers Make Honor Roll Four Nebraska bowlers earned spots on the Big 12 Commissioner s Honor Roll for their outstanding academic performance during the 2006 fall semester. Senior Amanda Burgoyne, redshirt freshmen Kalyn Washburn and Stephanie McGinnis and freshman Sarah Izydorek were among 270 Nebraska student-athletes to earn the prestigious award. Burgoyne, a sociology major from Newport, Minn., earned a spot on the honor roll for the second time in her bowling career. Washburn, an undeclared major and member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, also made the honor roll for the second time. Newcomers McGinnis (business administration) and Izydorek (elementary education) each made their first appearances on the list. The honor roll honors student-athletes who achieved a 3.0 or higher grade-point average during the 2006 Fall semester. Thirty-three Nebraska athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. Pg. 2

3 Head Coach 10th Year Kensington University Bill Straub National Tenpin Coach of the Year (2005) Two NCBA Team Championships (2004, 2005) Five IBC Women s National Titles (1991, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001) Two IBC Men s National Titles (1990, 1996) Three NCBCA Collegiate Bowlers of the Year 14 bowlers who have combined for 31 first-team All-America awards Seven women bowlers who have been selected to national teams 14 bowlers who have combined for 32 National Collegiate Bowling Association Acadmenic All-American awards Bill Straub is in his 10th year as the head bowling coach for the women s varsity team. However, his dedication and commitment to Nebraska bowling runs much deeper, as he coached both the men s and women s teams for 20 years dating back to when both programs were club sports. Under his tenure, the Husker men s and women s teams have won nine national titles in the past 15 years. The Nebraska women s bowling program won national championships in 1991, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2005, while the men s program captured national titles in 1990 and The season was a huge success for Straub and his Huskers, as they competed at the NCAA level for the first time in school history. Nebraska capped the season by winning the first-ever NCAA championship, rallying through the loser s bracket to defeat Central Missouri State in the nationally-televised finals. Shannon Pluhowsky was named the MVP of the NCAA Championship. Straub then guided the Huskers to a second NCAA title in , while Amanda Burgoyne was named the NCAA Tournament MVP. Last season, Straub led his Huskers to first-place finishes in all eight of their regular-season tournaments before placing third at the NCAA Championship with Adrienne Miller earning a spot on the all-tournament team. Lindsay Baker was also named NTCA National Player-of-Year for her sophomore season performance Straub has led the Huskers to unprecedented success as a team along with garnering numerous individual honors for his bowlers. He has coached a total of 14 bowlers to 31 first-team All-America honors, including both Lindsay Baker and Amanda Burgoyne in In addition, Straub has coached three bowlers who have been tabbed as the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association s Collegiate Bowler of the Year, including Diandra Hyman (2000), Shannon Pluhowsky (2001) and Baker (2006). In January of 2006, Burgoyne and former Huskers Shannon Pluhowsky and Diandra Asbaty (Hyman) all were selected to Team USA. Along with their numerous national titles, Straub s squads have not been ranked lower than seventh in the top 25 bowling poll since becoming a varsity sport in Straub s bowling history goes far beyond the University of Nebraska. A Lincoln native, Straub had an illustrious professional career, both locally and nationally. A member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame, Omaha Hall of Fame and the Lincoln Hall of Fame, Straub has gained more honors and titles than any other bowler from the state of Nebraska. His numerous local, state and national titles give proof that his success as a bowler and coach is mirrored by the personal success of his bowlers. In all, seven of his current or former bowlers have been selected for national teams, including current Huskers Burgoyne and Cassandra Leuthold. Straub graduated from Kensington University with a bachelor s degree in business administration. He and his wife Kim, a former four-time All-American and NCBCA Bowler-of-the-Year, have one daughter, Meghan. Assistant Coach 10th Year Nebraska (1994) Paul Klempa Two NCAA Team (2004, 2005) 14 bowlers who have combined for 31 first-team All-America awards Seven bowlers who have been selected to national teams Paul Klempa returns for his 10th season as the women s bowling assistant coach, while his association with the program dates back to After a collegiate career in which he earned All- America honors as a senior in 1994, Klempa remained in Lincoln and became the assistant coach for the club team in the fall of The next year, the program was elevated to varsity status and Klempa was officially named assistant coach by the Nebraska Athletic Department. During his stint as a coach at Nebraska, Klempa has helped the Huskers to five national championships, including back-to-back NCAA titles in 2004 and Klempa has tutored 14 bowlers who earned numerous All-America honors during their careers and seven athletes who have gone on to represent the United States on the national team. Amanda Burgoyne is a member of the national team, while Cassandra Leuthold represents Nebraska on Junior Team USA. Originally from Johnstown, N.Y., Klempa has represented Nebraska in the U.S. Open and is a Nebraska State Match Game Champion. He has bowled 300 games on 12 occasions and has produced an 800 series 12 times in his decorated career. He graduated from Nebraska in 1994 with a degree in Psychology. Klempa and his wife, Leanna, reside in Lincoln and have one son, Jake Anthony. Pg. 3

4 Newport, Minn. St. Agnes High School 5-1 Three Letters Senior Four-Time Team USA Member ( ) Four-Time Junior Team USA Member ( ) NTCA First-Team All-American (2005, 2006) NCAA Tournament MVP (2005) 2004 WTBA World Tenpin Cup (silver medal) 2004 Tournament of the Americas (gold medal) WIBC Alberta E. Crowe Start of Tomorrow Award winner (2004) Big 12 Commissioner s Spring Honor Roll (2004) 2003 F.I.Q. Tournament of the Americas (two gold medals) Amanda Burgoyne (BURR-GOIN) is certainly ending her final season with the Huskers on a high note. This season, Burgoyne claimed the Morgan State invitational crown and placed second in the both the Valley Classic Tournament and the Music City Classic. Burgoyne also earned a spot on Team USA for the fourth-consecutive time in her career. Burgoyne is certainly no stranger to the NCAA Championship tournament. She will be competing in her fourth championship since bowling s elevation to NCAA status in Burgoyne competed in all nine tournaments during her junior campaign. She held a average over 60 games, earning a No. 7 spot on Nebraska s all-time single season average list. Burgoyne earned eight top-10 finishes on the season, including a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Championship in March of Her top performance came at the Arkansas State Invitational on Feb. 5, 2006, where she held a average over five games for a first-place finish. Burgoyne finished her successful junior year by being named a National Tenpin Coaches Association first-team All-American for the second year in a row Review In just her second year with the Huskers, Burgoyne guided Nebraska to a victorious season, including the team s second NCAA title. On the year, she won three tournament titles and posted two second-place finishes. She averaged a over 49 games played. Burgoyne opened the season with an impressive 234 average to earn top honors at the Arkansas State Invitational. She then went on to win her second title of the regular season at the Greater Ozark NCAA Invitational with a 211 average over seven games. Burgoyne was named NCAA Tournament MVP with an outstanding career-high average of through four games in the qualifying rounds. In March of 2005, Burgoyne was named a 2005 National Tenpin Coaches Association first-team All- American Review Burgoyne enjoyed one of the finest freshman seasons in school history, averaging a over 62 games and competing in all nine tournaments. She placed in the top 10 in five tournaments, winning the Women s Triad Classic with an average of over five games,while bringing home runner-up honors at the Brunswick Coca-Cola Classic and the NCAA Northeast Challenge. She placed 19th at the NCAA Championships, averaging a over eight games. In addition to her performance in collegiate competition, she earned a spot on the U.S. National Team with a fifth-place finish (10,098 pins) at the 2004 U.S. Amateur in January. She was also the top finisher during the three-day qualifying round. Burgoyne, who was also selected for the Junior National Team in 2004, led the U.S. team at the Tournament of the Americas in Miami over the summer, winning the junior women s all-events gold with 7,426 pins over Amanda Burgoyne 2007 Morgan State Invitational 2006 Arkansas State Invitational 2005 NCAA Tournament 2005 Greater Ozark NCAA Invitational 2004 Arkansas State Invitational 2003 Triad Women s Classic 36 games. She also received the Sportsmanship Award in a vote of her fellow bowlers. Burgoyne came to Nebraska after a distinguished prep career. She was the 2004 WIBC Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tommorrow Award winner, which is presented to the top junior bowler in the United States or Canada. In her two years as a junior Team USA member, she won two gold medals and one silver medal at the 2003 Tournament of the Americas. Burgoyne placed seventh at the 2003 U.S. Amateur Championships and dominated at the local and regional levels, winning nearly 50 events on the Minnesota Junior Bowlers Tour and Greater Iowa Scholarship Bowling Tour. She was a six-time MJBT Bowler of the Year, a two-time GISBT Bowler of the Year and won Youth Nationals at age 14. Amanda Burgoyne, the daughter of Jeffrey and Jane Burgoyne, was born on Sept. 27, Amanda, a sociology major, graduated from St. Agnes High School in She has one older sister, Betsy. Burgoyne is engaged to marry Erik Vermilyea in the fall of Pg. 4

5 Senior Three Letters 5-7 Pius X High School Albuquerque, N.M. Adrienne Miller 2005 Bayside Collegiate Classic 2005 NCAA Holiday Classic Senior Adrienne Miller showed immense leadership skills at the 2006 NCAA Championships as she stepped up her level of play to earn third place and a career-best showing at the NCAA Championship. This season, Miller has continued to perform at a championship level, earning four top-five finishes on the year. During her junior season, Miller competed in all nine tournaments and rolled a total pinfall of 11,431. She averaged over 58 games and earned four top-10 finishes. Her best regular-season finish came at the Brunswick Invitational where she placed fifth with an average of 189 over seven games. Miller was a top competitor in post season action, as she held a average for a third-place finish and a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament team. Her impressive showing in the finals also helped teh Huskers to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championship Review Miller finished an outstanding sophomore season with a average over 52 total games played. Miller also posted six top-10 finishes and had a total pinfall of 10,489. Her best finish came at the NCAA Holiday Classic where she averaged to win the NTCA Second-Team All-American (2005) Third-Place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championship Coca-Cola New Mexico Youth Champion (1999, 2001, 2003) Four-Time National Junior Gold Qualifier ( ) Five-Time New Mexico Women s Bowler of the Year ( ) tournament. Miller claimed the Bayside Collegiate Classic title with an average of Miller helped the Huskers win their second NCAA Championship with a average and a top-25 placing. To finish her outstanding season, Miller was honord as a secondteam All-American Review Miller was one of NU s best performers as a rookie, averaging in 58 games as a freshman. She placed in the top 10 in four of her eight tournaments, including third-place showings at the Southern Classic ( ) and the Holiday Collegiate Classic, where she bowled a career-best over eight games. Miller placed ninth at the NCAA Championships, averaging a in helping the Huskers to their first NCAA title. The daughter of Mike Miller and granddaughter of Gary and Dee Miller, Adrienne was born on July 30, 1985, in Albuquerque, N.M. Adrienne, a psychology major, graduated from St. Pius X High School in 2003, where she was a member of the National Honor Society and lettered in volleyball and basketball. She has one step brother, Chris Miller. Junior Two Letters 5-6 Sweet Home High School Amherst, N.Y. Lindsay Baker 2006 Morgan State Invitational 2006 Greater Ozark Invitational 2005 Mankato Invitational NTCA National Player of the Year (2006) NTCA First-Team All-American (2005, 2006) NCAA Rookie of the Year (2005) New York ECIC High School Bowler of the Year (2004) Junior Lindsay Baker stormed onto the collegiate bowling scene as a freshman and never looked back. Last season, Baker earned the prestigious Bowler-of-the-Year award for her oustanding performances throughout the season. Although Baker s best finish this season was second place at the Morgan State invitational with a 220 average, she will definitely provide the Huskers with the talent and leadership needed to claim the 2007 national title. Baker was extremely valuable to the Huskers lineup, as she competed in all nine tournaments and cracked the top-five in six competitions. Her best finish came at the Greater Ozark Invitational in Springfield, Mo., where she held a average over seven games for first place. Baker also earned a third-place position on Nebraska s all-time list for the highest average in a single season as she held a 213 over 60 games. Baker finished the season by earning the 2006 NTCA Player-of-the-Year. She also earned firstteam All-America honors along with teammate Amanda Burgoyne Review Baker dominated her first season for the Huskers. In 56 games she averaged and posted nine top-10 finishes. Baker s best finish took place at the Mankato Invitational where she placed first with a average. Baker competed in nine tournaments, including the NCAA Championships where she was named to the 2005 NCAA All-Tournament Team with a career-high average of 234. Baker was also named NCAA Rookie of the Year. Baker topped off her outstanding season by being chosen as a NTCA First-Team All- American. Baker was a standout in New York State Bowling Association individual competitions. She broke every high school record and was the only person to bowl a 300 in competition. Baker earned NYSBA All-State honors for four years and also earned the NYSBA Player-of-the-Year award. In addition to bowling, Baker participated in track. Lindsay Baker, the daughter of Henry and Cheryl Baker, was bown on Dec. 28, 1985, in Amherst, N.Y. An English major, Lindsay graduated from Sweet Home High School in She has two brothers, Jeff and Kevin, and one sister, Jennifer. Pg. 5

6 Rapid City, S.D. Central High School 5-3 Redshirt Freshman Junior Team USA ( ) W.I.B.C. Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow (2005) North Dakota/South Dakota State Amateur Champion (2003, 2004) South Dakota Pepsi State Tournament Champion Rapid City-Ellsworth City Bowler of the Year ( ) Cassandra Leuthold (pronounced LOOTH-HOLD) joined Nebraska last season as the No. 1 junior player in the country. After redshirting her freshman year, Leuthold gained the skills and edge needed to make her competitive career a success for the Huskers. In July 2006, Leuthold placed second at the Gold Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., earning her a spot on the 2007 Junior Team USA. This season, Leuthold has claimed two individual tournament crowns. She earned her first title at the Maverick Callenge, where she held an average of 202. Leuthold then captured her second crown at the Ozark Invitational, where she averaged a collegiatecareer high of 230. Leuthold redshirted during the season. Cassandra Leuthold Ottawa, Ill. Ottawa Township High School 5-8 Redshirt Freshman Sarah Koch Big 12 Commissioner s Honor Roll (Spring 2006) Junior Olympic Gold participant ( ) Illinois State Star of Tomorrow ( ) Wisconsin Scholarship Bowlers Club Bowler of the Year (2005) Wisconsin Scholarship Bowlers Club individual titles Indiana Youth Scholarship Bowling Tour individual titles Illinois Scholarship Bowling Club individual titles Sarah Koch (pronounced COOK) entered her second season with the Huskers after redshirting her freshman year. Her advances in bowling development last season poised her for a successful collegiate career. This season, Koch earned a season-best 218 average for fifth place at the Windy City Classic. According to Head Coach Bill Straub, Koch s potential to help the Husker team was evident from the first time he saw her bowl. Koch redshirted during the season. Koch celebrated success during her junior career as she was a member of the Illinois Scholarship Bowling Club team. She won three individual titles and helped the team win team-ofthe-year honors in both 2004 and Koch also claimed two Indiana Youth Scholarship Bowling Tour individual titles and three Wisconsin Scholarship Bowling Club individual titles. Koch won the Illinois State Star of Tomorrow award and was a Junior Olympic Gold participant from 2003 to Maverick Challenge 2007 Ozark Invitational Leuthold had an outstanding prep career at Rapid City Central High School. Not only was she a seven-time Central High Bowlerof-the-Year, Leuthold was also the 2005 Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow award winner, an esteemed award given to the top high school bowler in the United States and Canada. In high school, Leuthold rolled two 300 games and a high series of 770. Information The daughter of W.J. and Stephanie Leuthold, Cassandra was born on May 1, 1987, in Amarillo, Texas. Leuthold, a chemical engineering major, graduated from Rapid City Central High School in In addition to bowling, Leuthold was a letterwinner on her high school rifle team and placed first in ladies marksmanship at the 2003 J.R.O.T.C summer camp. She has one older brother, Jim. Sarah, the daughter of Ron Koch and Sue Denen, was born on Jan. 17, She graduated from Ottawa High School in 2005, where she was a member of the National Honor Society and honor roll. In addition to bowling, Koch lettered in basketball, softball and volleyball. She has one sister, Kayla. Pg. 6

7 Junior 5-9 West Calder High School Edinburgh, Scotland Emma Butchard Scotland National Team member (2006) Outlook Emma Butchard joined the Husker lineup as a heralded recruit from Edinburgh, Scotland. After spending two years at Napier University in Edinburgh, Butchard transferred to NU to expand on her bowling career. She celebrated success on her Livingston YBC club team where she rolled her best game of 299. Butchard was also a member of the Scotland national team at the 2006 World Championships. Butchard was a regular on the lineup during her first season as a Husker. She posted her best finish at the Wisconsin-Whitewater tournament, where she held a 194 average for 11th place. The daughter of Robert Butchard and Anne Butchard, Emma Louise was born on Nov. 9, 1986, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Butchard graduated from West Calder High in 2004 before attending Napier University. Butchard, a psychology major, chose Nebraska because it stood out as being the best university academically and athletically. She has one younger brother, Liam (16). Pg. 7